Women’s Lacrosse: Virginia has five aarn All-ACC honors
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The Virginia women’s lacrosse team had five players earn All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.
Redshirt senior Ashlyn McGovern was an All-ACC First Team selection. Sophomore Aubrey Williams and freshman Rachel Clark were named All-ACC Second Team and Clark joined Kate Miller and Abby Manalang on the All-Freshman Team.
McGovern is tied for the team lead with 52 goals. The Phoenix, Md., native has scored a goal in every game this season and has a goal-scoring streak of 24 consecutive games dating back to the 2021 season. McGovern leads UVA with multiple goals scored in 14 games, with hat tricks in 11 of those contests. She scored a career-high seven goals in the win over Pitt and matched a career-high with seven points on six goals and one assist in the win at Virginia Tech.
Williams has served as UVA’s primary draw control specialist all season. She set a UVA record for single season draw controls in 2022, totaling 128 through 16 games so far this year. Williams has grabbed double-digit draws in six games. The Purcellville, Va., native had a career-best and single-game record of 15 draw controls in the win over then-No. 16 Stanford.
Clark has emerged as a leader on attack for the Cavaliers in her first season. She leads the team with 61 points and is tied for the team lead with 52 goals. Her 52 goals are second-most by a UVA freshman, just one shy of Amy Appelt’s record 53 set in 2002. Clark has multiple goals in 13 games with a team-high 12 hat tricks. She scored a career-best eight points in the win over then-No. 16 Stanford and had a career-high five goals in the win over then-No. 22 Richmond.
Miller has scored a goal in all but two games this season for the Cavaliers. She is fifth on the team with 21 goals and has six assists. She scored a career-high four goals in the win over Stanford and has scored multiple goals in five games.
Manalang stepped into the lineup at midfield after season-ending injuries for the Cavaliers. She has 11 draw controls, four ground balls and two caused turnovers in 13 games played this season. She recorded her first career assist at Duke and has picked up a draw control in seven straight games.
UVA will play 3-seed Syracuse in the ACC Quarterfinals on Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Notre Dame, Ind.
Conner tabbed ACC Offensive Player of the Week
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Virginia senior midfielder Jeff Conner (Wallingford, Pa.) has been named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week.
Conner posted a career-high seven points on four goals and three assists in the Cavaliers’ 21-15 win at Syracuse (April 23). The two-way midfielder only needed six shots to score four times as Virginia’s 21 goals tied for the highest goal total by a Syracuse opponent in Carrier Dome history. Conner also added two ground balls and one caused turnover.
Conner’s performance helped the Cavaliers lock up at least a share of the program’s 19th ACC title.
Up next, No. 4 Virginia (10-3) closes out the regular-season slate when it hosts Lafayette (4-10) on Thursday (April 28). Opening faceoff is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network. Virginia will recognize it fourth and fifth-year student-athletes, including Conner, prior to Thursday’s contest.
Dabbs, Barnett claim ACC weekly honors
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Ethan Dabbs and Mia Barnett of the Virginia men’s and women’s track and field programs earned ACC weekly honors after a pair of performances that each rank in the nation’s top-two.
Dabbs broke the ACC men’s javelin throw record that had stood for almost 11 years with his mark of 80.41 meters (263’10”) at the Virginia Challenge. Dabbs became the first ACC thrower to surpass the 80-meter mark and broke the previous record held by Virginia Tech’s Matthias Treff by more than eight feet. Dabbs, who currently ranks second nationally, broke his own Virginia school mark while also setting a Virginia Challenge record and a Lannigan Field facility mark. Dabbs now holds both the ACC record and the ACC Championships record which he set in 2019 (74.04m/249’6”).
Barnett ran a nation-leading NCAA Division I time and finished as the top collegian in the 1500 meters at the Virginia Challenge. Barnett’s time of 4:11.32 placed less than a second behind race winner Michaela Meyer, who now runs professionally for Nike after setting both ACC overall and ACC Championship records last season. Barnett also competed in the women’s 800 at the Virginia Challenge, clocking 2:06.79 to currently rank eighth in the ACC.
Barnett shares the weekly honor with N.C. State’s Katelyn Tuohy who won the 5000 meters at the Virginia Challenge with a time that leads the NCAA and is the eighth-fastest time in collegiate history.
Vander Plas officially signs with Virginia: ‘Can’t wait to get to Charlottesville’
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
Dean and Markel Families Men’s Head Basketball Coach Tony Bennett announced Monday the addition of forward Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) to the Cavaliers’ program.
Vander Plas has signed a financial aid agreement and is transferring to Virginia after playing four seasons at Ohio University.
“We are excited to add Ben to the Virginia basketball family,” Bennett said. “Ben brings valuable experience, leadership and production to our team. He had an outstanding four-year career at Ohio University, and we look forward to having him join our program.”
Vander Plas amassed 1,572 points and 758 rebounds in 122 career games at Ohio. In 2021-22, Vander Plas averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds en route to All-Mid-American first-team honors. He shot 45.7 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from 3-point range for the Bobcats (25-10). Vander Plas earned a spot on the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Division I Men’s Basketball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and was named the Division I Academic All-America® of the Year.
He is a three-time All-MAC honoree and four-time Academic All-MAC member. Vander Plas arrives at UVA with an undergraduate degree in communications and master’s degrees in sport administration and management. He sports a career 3.96 GPA and is a three-time Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Team selection.
As a redshirt junior in 2020-21, Vander Plas had a game-high 17 points as No. 13 seed Ohio upset No. 4 seed Virginia 62-58 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2021. Vander Plas earned All-MAC third-team honors after averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 33.8 percent from 3-point range. He was named Academic All-MAC, Academic All-District and Academic All-America with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Vander Plas also earned the 2021 MAC Medal of Excellence award.
In 2019-20, Vander Plas earned All-MAC third-team honors after ranking second at Ohio in scoring (15.7 ppg) and first in rebounding (6.9 rpg). He shot 49.2 percent from the field and scored in double figures in 27 of 31 games. Vander Plas scored 20 or more points seven times and had seven double figure rebounding games.
In 2018-19, Vander Plas averaged 8.6 points, 6.8 rebounds in 31 games. He was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team and named MAC Freshman of the Year. Vander Plas redshirted the 2017-18 season due to a leg injury suffered prior to the start of the season.
“I am very excited to be a part of the basketball family at Virginia,” Vander Plas said. “The program has a great history of success, and I am looking forward to being able to contribute to continuing that success. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to play for Coach Bennett and his staff and continue to grow as a person and player this next year. There is a great group of guys in that locker room, and I can’t wait to get to Charlottesville and start working with them.”
Vander Plas is a 2017 graduate of Ripon High School where he averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.8 steals over 70 career games under his father and head coach Dean Vander Plas. His father was a college teammate of Tony Bennett under Tony Bennett’s father, Dick Bennett, at Green Bay from 1989-91. Ben Vander Plas’ full given name is Bennett as a tribute to the Bennett family.
Virginia road game at ODU on Tuesday canceled due to weather forecast
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
The midweek non-conference matchup between Virginia and Old Dominion slated for Tuesday at Harbor Park in Norfolk has been canceled due to inclement weather in the forecast. The game will not be rescheduled.
Virginia will be home on Wednesday (April 27) to host George Mason at Disharoon Park. First pitch will be at 6 p.m. and the contest will air live on ACC Network.
Virginia signs point guard Yonta Vaughn
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia women’s basketball head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton announced Monday that Yonta Vaughn (District Heights, Md.) has signed to play as a freshman on the 2022-23 team.
Vaughn was the four-year starting point guard for nationally-ranked Bishop McNamara High School. The McDonald’s All-American nominee is ranked No. 72 in the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings and the No. 15 point guard in the Class of 2022. Collegiate Girls Basketball report has her ranked No. 49 nationally and All-Star Girls Report at No. 66. She was a two-time Washington Post All-Met honorable mention and a 2021-22 All-WCAC second-team honoree.
“I’m so excited about Yonta,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “She is an amazing young talent on and off the floor. She knows exactly what she wants and is not afraid to work hard for it. She is an athletic, high-IQ facilitating point guard who can score at all three levels. She also understands the importance of the defensive side of the ball. She is a culture kid who will enhance our program in a variety of ways. We are blessed to welcome her into our Wahoo Family!”
No. 11 Virginia completes series sweep of North Carolina
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
No. 11 Virginia (31-10, 13-8 ACC) scored seven runs in the first two innings in a 10-3 victory over North Carolina (23-17, 8-13 ACC) on Sunday at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers recorded their second ACC sweep of the season and first over the Tar Heels since 2015.
Graduate student Alex Tappen, the third batter of the game, ignited the potent UVA attack with a two-run homer to left center. It was his second of the weekend and 10th of the season. The Cavaliers poured on five runs in the bottom half of the second to open up a 7-0 advantage after two innings. It marked 21st time this season UVA has scored five or more runs in a single inning.
On the mound Jake Berry tossed five innings and allowed just one earned run. The lefty fanned six batters while walking one and recorded his fifth win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Already up 2-0 after the Tappen blast, Virginia erupted for five runs in the second inning without an extra-base hit. All seven hits in the frame were singles. UVA got run-scoring hits from Max Cotier, Griff O’Ferrall and Jake Gelof. The big inning drove North Carolina starting pitcher Kyle Mott out of the ball game after just one inning.
- Two of the three North Carolina runs came with two outs. Mac Horvath got the Tar Heels on the board with a solo homer to left in the third inning. An earned run came across in the sixth before Alberto Osuna scored on a two-out double in the eighth.
- The Cavaliers capped the day with two runs in the eighth. Teel doubled home Griff O’Ferrall who led off the inning with bunt single. Teel eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Gelof, the 10th run of the day for UVA.
UP NEXT: Virginia will have two games in the midweek before hosting Virginia Tech next weekend at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers will travel to ODU on Tuesday (April 26) for the second game of the midweek season series against the Monarchs. UVA will be back at home on Wednesday (April 27) to host George Mason.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Tappen went 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, two home runs, five runs scored and five RBI in the three-game series. Sunday was his 201st game as a Cavalier, the 11th most in program history.
- Seven of the nine batters in the UVA lineup had put together multi-hit efforts, led by Anderson who matched a season-high with three hits.
- Brian O’Connor passed former North Carolina head coach Mike Roberts for eighth place on the ACC’s overall wins list with his 781st career victory.
- Virginia improved to 23-2 at home this season and have scored 10 or more runs in 18 of the 25 home games this year.
- Coming into the weekend, North Carolina had won the last four series against Virginia. The sweep of the Tar Heels is the third in the O’Connor era (2010, 2015, 2022). Under O’Connor, the Cavaliers are 30-30 against North Carolina.
Virginia sweeps Pitt with 10-2 win Sunday
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The Virginia softball team (26-21, 12-9 ACC) picked up its third sweep in ACC play on Sunday as the Cavaliers grabbed a 10-2 victory in six innings over Pittsburgh (14-24, 2-17 ACC) at Palmer Park. With the win, the Cavaliers have locked up a spot in the upcoming ACC Championships.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia got the scoring started in the first inning, pushing a run home on a single to center from Sarah Coon that drove in Gabby Baylog. The scoring continued a few batters later when Katie Goldberg slid in under the tag at the plate on a groundball back to the pitcher from Tori Gilbert. Kailyn Jones then drove in the third run with an infield single that brough home Coon.
Pitt got a run back in the second with a double to the wall from Haylie Brunson.
The Cavaliers would add a single run in the third on a single to right from Jones before putting together another three-run inning in the fourth. Virginia got a two-RBI single from Baylog as part of that fourth-inning rally before the junior would score on a Panther error to put the Hoos up 7-1.
Pitt would get a run back in the top of the sixth before the Cavaliers would put together a third three-run rally, capped by a walk-off single from senior Emma McBride to secure the sweep. Fifth-year Kate Covington and senior Bailey Winscott also scored in the inning as seniors factored heavily into the close of the walk-of win.
Mackenzie Wooten (3-0) picked up the win in relief, working 3.2 innings and allowing one run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Abby Edwards (1-2) took the loss in the start, allowing four runs on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
NOTES ON THE GAME
- Virginia’s 26 wins on the year is the most in a season since the 2012 campaign when UVA went 26-25.
- UVA swept its third ACC series this season (NC State, Boston College, Pitt) with the win over the Panthers.
- The 12 wins in ACC play is the second most in program history after the 2010 season when UVA notched 13 wins.
- The Hoos are assured to have at least a .500 record in ACC play for the first time since the 2010 season.
- UVA has secured a berth in the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2019 and third time under Coach Hardin.
- The run-rule win was the fifth of the season for the Cavaliers and first in ACC play this year.
FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“It was great to end the series with a walk-off that way and was very fitting that Emma McBride came through in that moment and got that at bat. It was fun to send out our seniors the right way and enjoy the time with them. This class has been special to our program and I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach them and see them build what they set out to build when they got on Grounds four years ago. Now we’re looking forward to some time to recover before we head on the road to play Longwood on Tuesday and then continue on to Louisville to close out conference play and get ready for the ACC tournament.”
UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia returns to action on Tuesday (April 26) when the Cavaliers travel to Longwood. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. in a game streamed on ESPN+.
Women’s Tennis: Virginia falls in ACC Championship match
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The Virginia women’s tennis team (20-5) had its run in the 2022 ACC Women’s Tennis Championship come to an end with a 4-1 loss against Duke (19-3) in the final on Sunday at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga.
Sophomore Emma Navarro earned the Cavaliers’ point.
Junior Natasha Subhash and senior Sofia Munera opened the match with a 6-1 win on doubles court two. Duke won 6-2 on three to put the fate of the doubles point on court one. Sophomores Emma Navarro and Hibah Shaikh battled Georgia Drummy and Karolina Berankova to a 6-6 tie, but were edged 7-5 in the breaker as Duke took the 1-0 lead.
Duke went up 2-0 with a win on singles court two before Navarro evened the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win against No. 8 Chloe Beck. Sara Ziodato battled Ellie Coleman on court six, but was edged 6-4, 7-6 (2) as Duke took a 3-1 lead. The Blue Devils clinched the match on another tiebreaker, this one to determine the third set on court three. Emma Jackson edged Elaine Chervinsky 7-3 in the breaker to clinch the victory.
FROM HEAD COACH SARA O’LEARY
“Congratulations to Duke. I thought they competed really well. I’m super proud of our squad. We beat the No. 3 and No. 1 teams in the country this weekend. This team can play with anyone and they are really believing that. We will learn from today and prepare for NCAA’s in two weeks.”
MATCH NOTES
- This was the third time in program history the Cavaliers made the final of the Championship and the first time since 2015
- Duke is ranked No. 5 in the latest ITA team rankings. Virginia is No. 7
- The Blue Devils were the No. 2 seed. Virginia was the No. 4 seed
- The teams were on serve in the third set on the remaining two courts when the match was clinched
ON THE HORIZON
- The Cavaliers have a bye week next week
- Selections for the NCAA Team Championship will be announced on Monday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m. in a selection show that will stream online on NCAA.com
- The NCAA Championship begins at four-team regional sites on Saturday, May 7. One team from each site will advance to a super regional on May 13 or 14 at host sites. The final eight teams will advance to the finals site in Champaign, Illinois. Quarterfinals begin on Friday, May 20
- Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be announced on Tuesday, May 3 by a press release
#5 Duke 4, #7 Virginia 1
Singles competition
- #1 Emma Navarro (VA) def. #8 Chloe Beck (DU) 6-4, 6-2
- #14 Georgia Drummy (DU) def. #42 Natasha Subhash (VA) 6-3, 6-2
- #124 Emma Jackson (DU) def. #67 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
- #100 Kelly Chen (DU) vs. Sofia Munera (VA) 5-7, 6-4, 4-5, unfinished
- Margaryta Bilokin (DU) vs. Hibah Shaikh (VA) 7-5, 4-6, 3-3, unfinished
- Ellie Coleman (DU) def. Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-4, 7-6
Doubles competition
- #31 Georgia Drummy/Karolina Berankova (DU) def. #8 Emma Navarro/Hibah Shaikh (VA) 7-6 (7-4)
- #59 Natasha Subhash/Sofia Munera (VA) def. #27 Chloe Beck/Ellie Coleman (DU) 6-1
- Eliza Omirou/Margaryta Bilokin (DU) def. Elaine Chervinsky/Amber O’Dell (VA) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,1,6,3)
UVA target McNeil commits to Ohio State; Milicic chooses Charlotte
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
West Virginia transfer guard Sean McNeil announced Sunday that he will transfer to Ohio State, while former UVA guard Igor Milicic Jr. has committed to Charlotte.
Milicic, a 6-foot-10, 224-pound shooter from Croatia, appeared in 16 games for the Cavaliers as a freshman and entered the transfer portal after the season. With his transfer to Charlotte, he will now play for former Tony Bennett assistant Ron Sanchez, who came from Washington State to Virginia with Bennett.
Milicic averaged 2.1 points and 6.3 minutes over the 16 games he played at UVA.
McNeil, who visited Virginia early last week, chose the Buckeyes over UVA, Indiana, Louisville, Texas Tech and Iowa. He is a 6-4 shooting guard with one year of eligibility remaining.
On Saturday, former Ohio U. forward Ben Vander Plas announced he had committed to Virginia. The 6-8 forward has one year of eligibility remaining (see related story on the site).
Men’s Tennis: Virginia wins the ACC Championship
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Top-seeded Virginia won its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Tennis Championship on Sunday, capturing four of the six singles matches to come from behind and top No. 3 seed North Carolina, 4-3, at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
The Cavaliers (22-5) won their 14th ACC title in program history and second under head coach Andres Pedroso. Virginia’s Ryan Goetz was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
North Carolina (16-8) started strong by taking the doubles point, capped by Benjamin Sigouin and Peter Murphy’s victory, 7-5, in a tiebreaker at No. 3.
The Tar Heels also got off to a great start in singles, taking the first set in four matches, but Virginia roared back to win all six of the second sets. UVa’s Gianni Ross won, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 6 to knot the team score, 1-1. Jeffrey Schulenburg battled back to win at No. 3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, and Goetz also won in three sets, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 4, giving UVa a 3-1 team advantage.
UNC tied the match with wins at No. 5 and No. 1, respectively, as Anuj Watane picked up a 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 victory and Brian Cernoch notched a 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-3 triumph.
The final match at No. 2 singles came down to a third-set tiebreaker, and the Cavaliers’ Inaki Montes grinded out a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (3) win to lock up the championship.
FROM HEAD COACH ANDRES PEDROSO
“This is what an ACC final should look like every single year. Credit to North Carolina for a hard-fought match and for fighting ‘til the very end. They gave us everything they had and I wish them luck at the NCAA tournament. Our guys just showed how tough they are, how resilient they are and all the work that they put in. I’m really proud of them. We’re looking forward to the next two, three weeks. We think we have a chance against anyone and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
MATCH NOTES
- Virginia is ranked No. 6 in the latest ITA team rankings. North Carolina is No. 17
- Virginia brings a 17-match win streak into the NCAA tournament. Its last loss was on Feb. 19 during ITA Indoors
- UVA has won 14 ACC Championships (2004-05, 2007-15, 2017, 2021-22)
- This is the third time the ACC Championship has been held at the Rome Tennis Center. Virginia won the title both of the previous times it was there (2017 and 2021)
ON THE HORIZON
- The Cavaliers have a bye week next week
- Selections for the NCAA Team Championship will be announced on Monday, May 2 at 6 p.m. in a selection show that will stream online on NCAA.com
- The NCAA Championship begins at four-team regional sites on Friday, May 6. One team from each site will advance to a super regional on May 13 or 14 at host sites. The final eight teams will advance to the finals site in Champaign, Illinois. Quarterfinals begin on Thursday, May 19
- Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be announced on Tuesday, May 3 by a press release
#6 Virginia 4, #17 North Carolina 3
Singles competition
- #33 Brian Cernoch (NC) def. #23 Chris Rodesch (VA) 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 6-3
- Inaki Montes (VA) def. Benjamin Sigouin (NC) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3)
- #25 J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Mac Kiger (NC) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
- #85 Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Logan Zapp (NC) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
- Anuj Watane (NC) def. Bar Botzer (VA) 6-0, 2-6, 6-3
- Gianni Ross (VA) def. Peter Murphy (NC) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
- #8 Brian Cernoch/Mac Kiger (NC) def. Inaki Montes/Ryan Goetz (VA) 7-5
- #52 Chris Rodesch/Bar Botzer (VA) def. Casey Kania/Logan Zapp (NC) 6-2
- Benjamin Sigouin/Peter Murphy (NC) def. Gianni Ross/Alexander Kiefer (VA) 7-6
Match Notes:
North Carolina 16-8; National ranking #17
Virginia 22-5; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,3,4,5,1,2)
UVA finishes seventh at ACC Championships, claims Commonwealth Clash point
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Virginia men’s golf team shot 4-over 292 during Saturday’s final round of stroke play to place seventh in the 12-team field at the ACC Championships at Shark’s Tooth Golf Course in Panama City, Fla. The top four finishers – North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Wake Forest – advanced to the match play portion of the event that starts Sunday.
UVA’s three-round total was 10-under 854. Seventh-ranked North Carolina topped the field during stroke play by shooting 35-under 829. No. 11 Georgia Tech was second at 838.
Junior Pietro Bovari was UVA’s top finisher, placing 13th at 5-under 211. He led the team during the final round with a score of 2-under 211.
Senior Jack Montague placed 28th at 1-under 215. He shot 75 over the final 18 holes. Freshman Deven Patel fell back to 31st place with a score of 79 that put him at even par 216 for 54 holes. Sophomores Chris Fosdick and George Duangmanee rounded out UVA’s scoring. Fosdick finished with a score of 73 and was 35th at 218. Duangmanee placed 41st with a score of 220. He shot 74 during the final round.
Virginia managed to finish ahead of three ranked teams in the field – No. 26 NC State (858), No. 41 Duke (865) and No. 23 Clemson (865) – which should help the Cavaliers’ position in the Golfstat poll as they await the NCAA regional bid selection announcement on May 4.
The Cavaliers also finished ahead of 11th-place Virginia Tech (873) to claim the point at stake between the two programs in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, the all-sports competition between the two rivals. Virginia Tech currently leads the Clash 10.5 to 7.5. The next point at stake will come next weekend when the Hoos and Hokies meet in baseball in Charlottesville.
ACC Championships
Shark’s Tooth Golf Course
Panama City, Fla.
Par 72, 7,246 yards
Final Stroke Play Results
Team Results
- North Carolina 269-278-282-829
- Georgia Tech 284-273-281-838
- Florida State 283-282-280-845
- Wake Forest 286-281-280-847
- Notre Dame 282-283-283-848
- Louisville 285-282-282-849
- Virginia 280-282-292-854
- NC State 282-287-289-858
- Duke 291-292-282-865
- Clemson 287-282-296-865
- Virginia Tech 286-287-300-873
- Boston College 292-288-304-884
Individual Leaders
- Jacob Bridegman, Clemson 69-66-68-203
- Peter Fountain, North Carolina 68-67-68-203
Virginia Results
- Pietro Bovari 71-70-70-211
- Jack Montague 69-71-75-215
- Deven Patel 69-68-79-216
- Chris Fosdick 72-73-73-218
- George Duangmanee 71-75-74-220
It wasn’t perfect, but Virginia’s defense showed life in spring game
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Tony Elliott (Photo: UVA Athletics)
Last season, Virginia fielded one of the worst defenses in program history. The ultimate embarrassment was a 66-49 loss at BYU, which piled up 734 yards of offense in that win.
The Cavaliers abysmal performance was one of many as they finished near the bottom of NCAA defensive statistics:
- No. 123 (out of 130 FBS teams) in rushing defense (225.8 yards per game)
- No. 104 in scoring defense (31.8)
- No. 87 in passing yards allowed (240 per game)
- No. 121 in total defense (446 yards per game)
All of this led to the eventual firing of defensive coordinator Nick Howell as the coaching staff dismantled less than a week after its regular-season finale defeat to Virginia Tech.
Along came offensive-minded Tony Elliott as Bronco Mendenhall’s replacement. Elliott came with no promises other than to work hard. The new boss came from Clemson, and while he was involved on the offensive side of things, he knew what good, even great defense looked like.
If nothing else, Virginia fans who showed up for the Cavaliers’ Spring Game Saturday had to be encouraged by what was happening on the defensive side of the ball. With record-breaking quarterback Brennan Armstrong and a handful of lethal receivers returning, we all knew the offense would be in good hands going forward.
It was the defense that had everyone concerned, even Elliott. That’s why he found John Rudzinski, the somewhat-unheralded defensive coordinator at Air Force, where Coach Rud had fielded some of the stingiest defenses in all of America over the past few seasons.
In Saturday’s 23-0 win by the Blue squad over the White, there were a few things apparent. For the most part, it appeared that the defenses for both teams were lined up right, that the run fits were appropriate and there weren’t many screwups in coverage assignments for the secondary.
The White team had 20 yards rushing and the Blue posted 166, but 75 of that came on a perimeter rush by little-known senior Perris Jones on the first play of the second half. Other than that, the front sevens on both defenses kept the running game pretty well contained.
In the passing game, with Armstrong playing the first half for both teams, the veteran completed 23 of 42 attempts for 212 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
Putting things in perspective, Coach Rud wasn’t about to surrender massive chunks of Scott Stadium turf and set his coverage at 8 yards deep so that receivers found it difficult to get behind them. Armstrong, for the most part, had to take what the defensive coverage gave him, which was mostly dinks and dunks.
Also, because the game was televised by the ACC Network, UVA offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said beforehand that he wasn’t about any flavor but vanilla so as to not give away hints of what the Cavaliers may look like offensively come fall, just in case any opposing spies might be watching.
Still, it was promising that Rudzinski put a defense on the field Saturday that didn’t make fans reach for the Pepto. Had Virginia fielded any kind of defense last year, oh the possibilities.
“I thought [the frontline] defense was in a good position for the most part,” Elliott said in assessing the day. “I thought on the outside we were in position probably a little bit better than some of the same action where the big players were coming from, but overall, those guys have, like I said from the beginning, their confidence has come back for the most part.”
Certainly, that is a huge statement by Elliott about the collective defensive players’ confidence returning.
All of a sudden, defense is fun again at Virginia. As 319-pound nosetackle Jahmeer Carter (Blue team) said with a smile in postgame, “We were all flying around the football.”
Ask the old coaches and they will readily tell you that it’s difficult to be a good defense against the run if you don’t practice against the run every day in practice. In UVA’s pass-happy offense the past few years, a real running game was just a rumor.
Not with Elliott. He understands the importance of balance, i.e. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne.
“We talked about that just the other day,” said UVA’s best defensive player, senior linebacker Nick Jackson from Atlanta (two sacks, one tackle for loss and a PBU on the day). “Iron sharpens iron.”
Even in Armstrong’s one slip-up on the day, when he tried to force a pass and was picked off by senior corner Jaylon Baker, Elliott took solace in that the White defense didn’t break after the Blue had driven to a first down inside the 10-yard line.
“I was trying to encourage [the White defense] that you gave up a drive down to the eight, but man, you held them to three points,” Elliott said. “I mean, that’s a victory. You’ve gotta celebrate the little victories. I was proud of that sequence there.”
The secondary, thin on depth with only three healthy safeties at the end of spring drills, has held up mostly because some of the defensive backs are versatile enough to play more than one position while necessary.
“It might not be competitive depth all the way through, and so those frontline guys have got to push themselves a little bit harder if somebody’s not behind them to push, but I thought they made strides this spring,” Elliott said. “Lex Long (sophomore safety from Woodbridge) is a guy that looks like he’s becoming more comfortable. I heard him all day getting guys lined up, communicating, and so with what they really take from Coach [Curome] Cox and Coach Rud, just understand the scheme and the flexibility with the safeties being able to play multiple spots.”
One experienced defensive back, corner Darrius Bratton from Roanoke, was sidelined for the game.
“I’m pleased where the D-line has progressed and to see where (defensive tackle) Ben Smiley is, considering where he started and wanting to lead, compared to when I first showed up here,” Elliott said. “(Defensive end Michael) Diatta, I think he’s got a chance to help us. (Linebacker) Chico Bennett, I was pleased with the spring he had. Mike Green (linebacker) is another one that I’m trying to get both feet in the water because he’s as talented an athlete as we have on this football team.”
Elliott believes his linebacking corps is solid.
Now, it’s a matter of players developing somewhat on their own between now and training camp, blending with a host of newcomers and putting something better on the field defensively when the bullets start flying.
If Armstrong & Co. can put up the numbers offensively, this could be a good football team … if the quarterback can get just a little bit of help from this friends – his defensive friends.
Highlights from the Blue-White game 🔶⚔️🔷#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/jywQGS7rmA
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) April 24, 2022
UVA scores 21 goals in win at Syracuse to clinch share of 19th ACC championship
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia clinched a share of the program’s 19th ACC title with its 21-15 win over Syracuse at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. The Cavaliers’ 21 goals scored tied for the most by a Syracuse opponent inside the Carrier Dome since its opened in 1980.
Jeff Conner (4 goals, 3 assists) and Matt Moore (3 goals, 4 assists) posted a game-high seven points each. Conner, who took just six shots, finished with a career high in points.
Matthew Nunes (10-3) earned the win in net for Virginia (10-3, 5-1 ACC), while Bobby Gavin (3-7) suffered the loss for the Orange (4-9, 1-4).
After Syracuse’s leading goal scorer Tucker Dordevic scored the game’s first goal just over one minute in, the Cavaliers tallied five straight goals to take the lead. The UVA run was capped by a goal from short-stick defensive midfielder Jack Peele, who received a pass from Cade Saustad and went the length of the field to score his second goal of the season and eighth of his career.
Virginia led 6-3 at the end of the first period, but the Orange cut the UVA lead to one (6-5) early in the second quarter. The Cavaliers responded with three straight goals, including two from Conner and Moore, to cling to a 9-5 lead. Virginia ultimately led it 12-7 at the half after the Cavaliers forced eight SU turnovers and out-shot the Orange 31-20 in the first 30 minutes of play.
Once again, Syracuse opened the half by scoring the first goal, but then the Cavaliers fired off six straight goals to commandeer an 18-8 advantage – its largest lead of the game – midway through the third.
After Syracuse scored three straight, Conner and Moore found the back of the net one last time, and Payton Cormier scored his second goal of the game on a man-up opportunity with 10:46 to play. The Orange scattered three goals in the final seven minutes of play, but it was not enough as UVA held on to win its second straight game over Syracuse.
“Next to me are two warriors, and I use that word specifically,” Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said of Conner and Moore’s performance. “Jeff Conner has really emerged. He’s playing his best lacrosse now. He had an early injury, so he missed about a month of our season. This is what we wanted, and we demand of Jeff – to be a true two-way middie. There’s just not that many in the game and he’s a throwback player, where he’s playing defense for us, winning some matchups, part of the slide scheme, but then obviously at the offensive end creating a ton of production.
“And the man to my left, Matt Moore … I use the word ‘warrior’ and it may not speak enough. The volume of what he’s doing right now [by] playing through injury. I think my favorite play of the year so far was that dive on the sidelines to give us an extra possession. And if you noticed, he’s not 100 percent, but he’s selling out there. His warrior mindset transfers to the rest of us. Matt has become an exceptional captain and leader for this program.”
WITH THE WIN…
- Virginia won its 19th ACC title all-time and second under head coach Lars Tiffany, who guided the Cavaliers to an ACC Tournament championship in 2019.
- Tiffany won his sixth career conference championship having won our Ivy League titles, including outright champion status in 2016, as head coach at Brown University (2007-16).
- Virginia evened the all-time series against the Orange to 20-20 and improved to 6-9 in the Carrier Dome.
- The Cavaliers finished its ACC regular-season slate with a 5-1 record, their highest win percentage in league contests since going 2-0 in 2006.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Virginia’s 21 goals scored tied for the most by a Syracuse opponent in the Carrier Dome since it opened in 1980. UVA scored 21 goals in the Dome in its 22-21 loss in 1997 and North Carolina posted 21 goals last season.
- The Cavaliers scored 20 goals in both meetings against the Orange this season, having defeated SU 20-11 at Klöckner Stadium on Feb. 26.
- For the second straight game, UVA had 10 players score at least one goal.
- With two goals, faceoff specialist Petey LaSalla tallied his fifth career game with multiple goals. Virginia is now 18-3 all-time when LaSalla scores at least one goal and 5-0 when scoring multiple goals.
- With two extra man-up goals in Saturday’s win, Virginia has now converted on at least one extra-man opportunity in each of its last five games.
- For the second time this season, Virginia was perfect on all of its clear attempts, finishing Saturday’s contest 22-22. The Cavaliers were also 16-16 at Duke (April 14).
- For the sixth straight game, Virginia opponents have had at least 16 turnovers.
- Jeff Conner’s seven points are a career best. His previous high was five points against Air Force in 2020.
UP NEXT
Virginia returns to Klöckner Stadium on Thursday to close out the regular season when it hosts Lafayette (4-10) for Senior Night. Opening faceoff of the inaugural matchup between UVA and the Leopards is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network. Prior to the start of Thursday’s game, UVA will recognize all 14 of its fourth and fifth-year student-athletes.
Ortiz’ big walk-off grand slam rockets Virginia past Carolina in extras
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Trailing by three runs going into the bottom of the 10th inning, No. 11 Virginia scored seven in its half, four on a walk-off grand slam by Devin Ortiz to defeat North Carolina, 11-7, at Disharoon Park on Saturday. The victory clinched the series, the first series win over North Carolina since 2016.
Virginia (30-10, 12-8 ACC) left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and North Carolina (23-16, 8-12) took advantage of a second opportunity. The Tar Heels sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the 10th and scored three runs, two on a double in the right centerfield gap by Mac Horvath.
After sac fly from pinch-hitter Casey Saucke, Virginia made it a one-run game on a two-out single through the right side by Kyle Teel, his fourth hit of the day. Graduate student Alex Tappen tied the game at seven with single over the outstretched hands of UNC shortstop Danny Serretti. With runners on second and third, UNC elected to walk Jake Gelof who was 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI on the day to load the bases.
Ortiz drove the first pitch he saw 373 feet down the left field line that stayed just inside the foul pole for the walk-off winner. The grand slam by Ortiz was the third of his career and the fifth hit by the Cavaliers this season.
What day at the ballpark! You’ll need to watch and read to believe 👇#GoHoos
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) April 24, 2022
The lead changed hand six times in the contest and was tied on three different occasions. Gelof tied the twice himself. He blasted his 15th home run of the season to knot the game at one in the fourth and then singled up the middle in the sixth to even it at two. Two batters later in the fourth, Virginia took its first lead on a two-out single by Chris Newell.
North Carolina tied it up in the seventh on a two-out bases loaded infield single by Hunter Stokely. The Cavaliers rallied again in the bottom half and plated an unearned run as Teel scored on a fielder’s choice by Gelof. The Cavaliers took a 4-3 lead into the ninth inning but it was erased by a lead-off homer by Alberto Osuna.
“College baseball games are hard to win. That was a great environment and a great team win,” UVA coach Brian O’Connor said. “To give up the lead in the ninth and then be down three in extra innings and for our team to just put a bunch of hits together and rally back was just really impressive. It takes everything. Us and North Carolina always play great ball games and I expect tomorrow to be no different.”
UP NEXT
The Cavaliers and Tar Heels will conclude the series Sunday at Disharoon Park, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. (ESPNU). Sunday is Youth Day at The Dish, featuring a poster giveaway, kids run the bases and postgame autographs.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Six of UVA’s seven tenth-inning runs came with two outs.
- It marked the second walk-off win of the season for the Cavaliers, both have come in Atlantic Coast Conference play (Boston College, March 18).
- Gelof moved into tie for fifth place with Mark Reynolds (2002) on UVA single-season home runs list.
- The win for O’Connor as his 780th of his career, tying him with former North Carolina head coach Mike Roberts for the eighth most in ACC history.
- Alex Tappen played in his 200th game to become the 11th Cavalier to play in 200 or more games.
- Virginia starting pitcher Brian Gursky matched a career-high with nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work.
Ohio’s Vander Plas commits to Virginia basketball over Wisconsin
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Ben Vander Plas (Photo: Ohio University Athletics)
Ben Vander Plas put a new twist on the old adage, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” on Saturday when the 6-foot-8 Ohio University forward announced he had committed to Virginia’s basketball program.
Vander Plas played a key role in beating Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament two years ago, arguably the biggest win in Bobcats history. So Vander Plas beat ‘em, then joined ‘em.
“Excited for my next chapter – Go Hoos,” Vander Plas tweeted on his account.
He chose UVA over Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa State, Illinois and Virginia Tech.
For his final season with the Bobcats, he averaged 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the arc. All of that earned him All-MAC First Team honors.
Vander Plas, who weighs in at 230 pounds, should be a boost to the Cavaliers’ frontcourt game to assist Jayden Gardner, UVA’s leading scorer and rebounder for much of last season.
Wahoo fans became familiar with the Vander Plas family two years ago when Ben (his full name is Bennett) revealed his father, Dean, had been a teammate of UVA coach Tony Bennett at Wisconsin-Green Bay for Tony’s father, Dick Bennett. The Vander Plas’ named their son for the Bennett family.
Check out some of the newest Wahoo’s highlights below:
Cavaliers close out a thrilling Virginia Challenge
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Virginia Challenge came to a close at Lannigan Field on Saturday after an incredible three days of competition. Jada Seaman highlighted the final day of the meet for the Cavaliers with a win in the 200m which brought her within a fraction of a second from the Virginia record.
Seaman won the 200m dash and raced to a time of 23.18 to match a Virginia Challenge record set by Paris Daniels in 2014. The time is just one hundredth of second shy of the Virginia record. Running in the same heat, Kayla Bonnick equaled her personal-best time of 24.01 finishing seventh overall.
On the men’s side of the 200m Jordan Willis set a personal-best time of 21.02 to finish fourth in the event. Jay Pendarvis set a personal best of his own clocking 21.22 to move into sixth on the Virginia all-time performance list.
In the women’s high jump competition, Bex Hawkins soared to an outdoor-best 1.76m (5’9.25m). On the men’s side, Jacob Kelly also set an outdoor-best with his mark of 2.04m (6’8.25”).
Owayne Owens won the triple jump for the Cavaliers with a season-best mark of 16.27m (53’4.5”).
In the men’s 800m, Conor Murphy placed third in his heat running a time of 1:49.26. On the women’s side Alahna Sabbakhan took fifth in her heat clocking 2:06.58 while Mia Barnett placed third in her heat at 2:06.79.
The Hoos took fourth place in the men’s 4x400m as Jordan Willis, Jay Pendarvis, Nigal Davis and Alex Sherman combined for Virginia’s best time of the season at 3:11.64.
The performance caps a meet for the Wahoos that saw multiple school, meet and facility records fall at Lannigan Field. Ethan Dabbs let go of a javelin throw that reached 80.41m (263’9”) while Ashley Anumba topped her Virginia record in the discus at 56.67m (185’11”). Wes Porter dropped a time of 13:36.84 in the 5k to set a school record in the event. Claudio Romero also set a facility record in the discus with his mark of 64.79m (212’6”).
FROM DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD VIN LANANNA:
“This weekend was a great showing for our team. What was good to see at this meet was the success we had in not just one event, but in many of them. Our team showed signs of developing into a complete track and field program that can compete across the board.”
UP NEXT:
The Hoos will travel to compete in the Penn Relays from Thur
Women’s Tennis: Virginia upsets No. 1 North Carolina in ACC semifinals
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The No. 7 Virginia women’s tennis team (20-4) defeated No. 1 North Carolina (24-2) by a 4-2 score in the semifinals of the 2022 ACC Women’s Tennis Championship on Saturday at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga.
Virginia advances to the ACC Championship match where they will face two-seed Duke (18-3, 11-2 ACC) on Sunday, Apr. 24 at 2 p.m. It will be UVA’s first time playing in the final since 2015.
Junior Natasha Subhash won the clinching point for the Cavaliers.
North Carolina opened the match with a 6-1 win on doubles court two. Sophomore Elaine Chervinsky and senior Amber O’Dell evened it with a 6-4 win on court three. Sophomores Emma Navarro and Hibah Shaikh clinched the point with a 7-5 victory against the nation’s top-ranked doubles team Elizabeth Scotty and Fiona Crawley.
Navarro gave UVA a 2-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-0 win against No. 4 Cameron Morra on the top court. The Tar Heels came back to tie the match with straight-set victories on courts four and five. Sophomore Sara Ziodato put the Cavaliers back ahead with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Anika Yarlagadda on court six.
On court two, Subhash had won her first set 6-4 against Scotty, who is ranked No. 22 in the ITA singles rankings, but dropped her second 6-2. In the third set, Subhash jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Scotty broke back to put it back on serve. Subhash broke Scotty in the final game to win 6-4 and seal the victory.
FROM HEAD COACH SARA O’LEARY
“I am just so incredibly proud of this group. I think they just handled all the adversity that they face today so well and they did it with such composure and determination. There were so many momentum switches from doubles to singles. And they just kept believing in themselves and believing in each other. And that’s what they’ve been doing the past couple of weeks and I’m just thrilled for them. I’m excited for them. And we’re, we’re really looking forward to tomorrow.”
MATCH NOTES
- The Cavaliers have won their last nine matches, including two victories against No. 3 NC State and this one against No. 1 North Carolina
- Last season, the Cavaliers advanced to the semifinals with a 4-2 win against Duke before falling 4-1 against North Carolina. Natasha Subhash had the lone point for the Cavaliers in the loss to the Tar Heels
- UNC has the previous eight meetings between the two teams. UVA’s last victory over the Tar Heels came in the Round of 16 of the 2016 NCAA Tournament
- Virginia head coach Sara O’Leary and associate head coach Gina Suarez-Malaguti are both UNC alumna
- Duke is ranked No. 5 in the latest ITA team rankings. Virginia is No. 7
- Duke won the regular-season meeting 4-3 in Durham
VIRGINIA & ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
- Virginia has made two trips to the finals since 1990 (the present format for the championship) in 2014 and 2015, winning the title both times under previous head coach Mark Gilbeau
- Danielle Collins was the 2014 ACC Championship MVP; Skyler Morton won the honor in 2015
- UVA also has two runner-up finishes in previous tournament formats in 1978 and 1989
- Sara O’Leary is looking for her first conference championship as a head coach. Her Davidson Wildcats made the conference final in her second of three seasons there (2016)
#7 Virginia 4, #1 North Carolina 3
Singles competition
- #1 Emma Navarro (VA) def. #4 Cameron Morra (NC) 6-1, 6-0
- #42 Natasha Subhash (VA) def. #22 Elizabeth Scotty (NC) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
- #25 Reilly Tran (NC) def. #67 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 7-6 (5), 6-6 (5-3)
- #55 Fiona Crawley (NC) def. Sofia Munera (VA) 6-3, 6-2
- #49 Carson Tanguilig (NC) def. Hibah Shaikh (VA) 6-1, 6-4
- Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Anika Yarlagadda (NC) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
- #8 Emma Navarro/Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. #1 Elizabeth Scotty/Fiona Crawley (NC) 7-5
- Alle Sanford/Carson Tanguilig (NC) def. Sofia Munera/Natasha Subhash (VA) 6-1
- Elaine Chervinsky/Amber O’Dell (VA) def. Reilly Tran/Cameron Morra (NC) 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,5,4,6,2)
Virginia clinches series with 4-3 win over Pitt
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Virginia softball team (25-21, 11-9 ACC) clinched the series over Pittsburgh (14-23, 2-16 ACC) as the Cavaliers downed the Panthers 4-3 on Saturday at Palmer Park.
Virginia got on the board with a three-run rally in the fourth inning. It started with a double from Leah Boggs before Gabby Baylog brought her in with a single up the middle. The Hoos would go on to load the bases before a single to second from Kailyn Jones and a sac fly to left from Lauren VanAssche put the Cavaliers on top 3-0.
Pitt answered in the fifth with back-to-back doubles to get on the board as part of a two-out rally.
The Cavaliers got the run back in the fifth, taking advantage of a Pitt error with two outs to take the lead back out to three runs as Boggs scored on the play.
The Panthers got another run with two outs in the sixth with a solo home run to cut the lead to 4-2 before a single up the middle with two outs in the seventh would trim the lead to one run but Pitt would get no closer.
Aly Rayle (5-5) picked up the win, working 4.0 innings without allowing a run as she walked three and struck out three. Madison Harris picked up the save as she recorded the final out of the game. She allowed a walk in two batters faced in the seventh.
Ally Muraskin (5-10) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
NOTES ON THE GAME
- Madison Harris picked up her sixth save of the season to set the single-season mark in program history.
- With the save, Harris passes Coty Tolar who posted five saves in the 2006 and held the program record.
- UVA wins its fourth ACC series this season, the first time since 2010 UVA has won four ACC series in a season.
- The Cavaliers now have 11 wins in ACC play, the most since the 2010 season when Virginia posted 13 ACC wins.
FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“I’m very proud of the team for grinding out that win today. There are things we need to continue to sharpen up, but another series win is a real positive for us as we go into the conference tournament. Aly (Rayle) really gave us a chance to win and it was good to see Mikayla Houge get back out there and get some good innings from Morgan Murphy. Madison Harris closed things out for us again which is something we’ve seen her do a lot for us this season. We need to come out tomorrow with a good approach and try to finish the weekend out strong, but it’s also a big day for us because it’s Senior Day and we want to send our seniors out on a high note and play the way we know we’re capable of playing.”
UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia and Pittsburgh will conclude the series on Sunday at noon. It will be Senior Day and the program’s seniors will be honored in ceremonies following the game. It is also Teacher Appreciation Day and teachers can claim complimentary tickets at wahoowa.net/TeacherAppreciation.
Men’s Tennis: Virginia tops Louisville 4-0 to advance to ACC final
Courtesy UVA Athletics
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Top-seeded Virginia (21-5, 12-0 ACC) defeated four-seed Louisville (19-8, 9-3 ACC) 4-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 ACC Men’s Tennis Championship on Saturday at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga.
Virginia will face third-seeded North Carolina (16-7, 9-3 ACC) on Sunday at 10 a.m. in the championship match.
Grad student Bar Botzer and sophomore Chris Rodesch opened the match with a 6-3 win on doubles court two. The other two courts were closer battles with court three going to a tiebreaker just as sophomore Iñaki Montes and senior Ryan Goetz pulled out a 7-5 victory on court one.
In singles, Rodesch raced to a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Etienne Donnet on court one to put the Cavaliers up 2-0 before two of the singles courts had finished their first sets. Senior Gianni Ross made it 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-3 win on court six. Goetz won the clincher, defeating Natan Rodrigues 6-4, 6-3 on court four to clinch the match.
MATCH NOTES
- Virginia is ranked No. 6 in the latest ITA team rankings. Louisville is No. 23. North Carolina is No. 17
- Virginia brings a 16-match win streak into the championship. Its last loss was on Feb. 19 during ITA Indoors
UVA & THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
- The Cavaliers are the reigning ACC Champions having won last year’s title with a 4-3 victory against North Carolina
- UVA has won 13 ACC Championships (2004-05, 2007-15, 2017, 2021)
- This is the third time the ACC Championship has been held at the Rome Tennis Center. Virginia the title both of the previous times it was there (2017 and 2021)
- The Cavaliers went 12-0 in the ACC, their 11th time not dropping a conference dual
- The Cavaliers were the ACC regular-season champions for the 15th time
HOW TO FOLLOW
- Sunday’s final will stream online through ACC Network Extra
- Live scores will be available for all matches of the tournament
#6 Virginia 4, #23 Louisville 0
Singles competition
- #23 Chris Rodesch (VA) def. #101 Etienne Donnet (LOU-MT) 6-2, 6-2
- Inaki Montes (VA) vs. Josh Howard-Tripp (LOU-MT) 7-6 (1), 4-1, unfinished
- #25 J vd Schulenburg (VA) vs. Sergio Hernandez (LOU-MT) 6-2, 2-6, 2-2, unfinished
- #85 Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Natan Rodrigues (LOU-MT) 6-4, 6-3
- Bar Botzer (VA) vs. David Mizrahi (LOU-MT) 7-6 (8), 2-3, unfinished
- Gianni Ross (VA) def. Matthew Fung (LOU-MT) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
- Inaki Montes/Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Etienne Donnet/David Mizrahi (LOU-MT) 7-5
- #52 Chris Rodesch/Bar Botzer (VA) def. Sergio Hernandez/Natan Rodrigues (LOU-MT) 6-3
- Gianni Ross/Alexander Kiefer (VA) vs. Alex Wesbrooks/Matthew Fung (LOU-MT) 6-6 (1-0), unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,6,4)
